Restorative justice

    Subdecks (1)

    Cards (11)

    • Restorative justice
      • A way of dealing with offending behaviour which focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims
      • This enables an offender to see the impact of their crime and serves to empower the victim by giving them a voice
    • Individual vs state
      • A person convicted of a crime would be regarded as committing a crime against the state
      • Restorative justice programmes switch emphasis from the needs of the state to those of the victim (compensation)
    • A healing process
      • Restorative justice is less about retribution (punishing offender) and more about reparation (repairing harm caused)
      • Restorative justice focuses on:
      • The victim and their recovery
      • The offender and their recovery/rehabilitation process
    • Key features
      • Trained mediator supervising
      • Non-courtroom setting
      • Face-to-face or remote
      • Both given an opportunity to explain/question the other
      • Active process
      • Positive outcome for all
      • Careful assessment of offender and victim
    • Sentencing
      • Restorative justice may occur pre-trial, and the offender's involvement may be considered during sentencing
      • It can also function alongside a sentence or as an alternative or incentive to reduce the sentence
    • Restitution
      • A monetary payment by an offender to the victim for the harm caused
      • May reflect psychological or physical damage caused - some variations may involve the offender directly repairing the damages themselves
      • Emotional restitution - supports healing process by rebuilding the victim's confidence and self-esteem
    • The RJC
      • An independent body who establish clear standards and supports victims and specialist professionals
      • Advocates for the use of restorative justice beyond crime - schools, workplace, hospitals and families